Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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D E S C R I P T I 0 N
PRESSURE-SENSITIVE COPXING MATERIAL
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a pressure-
sensitive copying material. Particularly, the invention
relates to an excellent pressure-sensitive copying material
which has an excellent color developing rate, little odor,
and neither offset nor bleeding.
BACK(~ROiJND ART
Heretofore, pressure-sensitive copying materials
have been well known. For example, to one sheet of paper
are applied microcapsules enclosing a solution of a color
less electron-donating color former (hereinafter referred to
as °'color former"), arid to another sheet of paper is applied
an electron-accepting developer (hereinafter referred. to as
"color developer") such as acidic inorganic materials,
2o polymeric materials or aromatic carboxylic acids which can
produce colors upon reacting with the above color former.
When copying materials are used, the treated surfaces of the
above-mentioned set of sheets are put together face to face
and pressure is applied t o the paired sheets, thereby
obtaining duplicate recordings.
The recording mechanism of the type described
above is such that the microcapsules axe ruptured by the
pressure of handwriting or the impact of typewriting to
release the color former solution. The solution comes into
3a contact with the color developer on the opposing surface of
the other sheet of paper to produce a color. In another
type of known recording material, these materials haring
color forming function are applied to one side of a sheet of
paper.
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The valor farmer solution that is used for the
recording material of this kind is a solution of an
electron-donating color farmer in one or mare kinds of
hydrophobic solvents. The hydrophobic solvents employed
here are required to have the properties as follows:
(a) innoxiousness,
(b) absence of disagreeable odor,
,(c) colorlessness or quite light solar,
(d) good dissolving property for color formers, and
1o good stability of color former solution,
(e) easiness of microcapsulation,
(f) good storage stability of microcapsule,
(g) not to inhibit the color developing reaction, and
the color developing rate is high,
~5 (h) to produce color images without bleeding, and
to produce clear color images even after they are
left to stand far a long period of time,
(i) inexpensiveness, and
(j) little deterioration of color (smudge) during
20 storage.
:Cn the prior art, diarylalkanes such as phenyl-
xylyle~thane and phenylethylpheny~.ethane, alkylnaphthalenes
such. as diisapropylnaphthalene, alkylbiphenyls such as
monoisoprapylbiphenyl, aromatic hydrocarbons having two ox
25 more aromatic rings such as partially hydrogenated
terphenyl, and chlorinated paraffins have been used as the
solvents far recording material of this kind.
However, these solvents do not always satisfy the
above requirements. Particularly, color developing
30 praperty, odor of solvent, and bleeding and smudge in writ
ing are usually contradictory to each other so that few
solvents satisfy these requirements at the same -time.
Recently, as a solvent having little odor and high valor
developing rate, there is proposed a fraction mainly
CA 02065154 2000-05-25
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consisting of sec-butyldiphenylmethane and sec-butyldi-
phenylethane that is obtained by alkylating a heavier
fraction produced as a by-product in ethylbenzene
production, with butene (U. S. Patent No. 4,686,548). The
solvent obtained by this method is really satisfactory in
color developing rate and odor; however, it is not always
satisfactory in view of bleeding and smudge in writing.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with one aspect of the present
invention, the invention provides a pressure-sensitive
copying material comprising a sheet coated with
microcapsules containing therein a solution of an
electron-donating color former in a solvent, said solvent
for said electron-donating color former solution including
a mixture of 20 to 80 weight percent of sec-
butyldiphenylmethane, 5 to 50 weight percent of sec-
butyldiphenylethane (1,1)and 5 to 50 weight percent of
sec-butyldiphenylethane (1,2).
In a preferred embodiment the sheet is paper.
In accordance with another embodiment of the present
invention, the electron-donating color former of said
electron-donating color former solution is selected from
the group consisting of a triphenylmethane compound, a
diphenylmethane compound, a fluoran compound, a thiazine
compound and a spiro compound.
CA 02065154 2000-05-25
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DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION
The object of the present invention is to provide
an excellent pressure-sensitive copying material which is
free from the above-described disadvantages of the solutions
used in the conventional recording materials arid has
particularly high color developing rate, little odor and
little bleeding and smudge in writing.
The solvents for color former solution used in a
pressure-sensitive copying material of the present invention
to is a mixture of 20 to 80 weight % of sec-butyldiphenyl
methane, 5 to 50 weight % of sec-butyldiphenylethane (1,1)
and 5 to 50 weight % of sec-butyldiphenylethane (1,2). The
above three components make a total of 100 weight %.
. The chemical structures of these compounds are as
' follows .
sec-Butyldiphenylmethane:
CH3
I
CH
CHz ~ CHzCH3
sec-Hutyldiphenylethane (1,1):
CH3
CH
~ ~ CH ~ CHaCH3
CHs
~~~~:~.~i
sec-Butyldiphenylethane (1,2):
CHa
I ,
CH
I
~ ~ CHz-C~I2 ~ CHzCHs
The substitution site o~ a sec-butyl group in
every compound is not restricted.
The present invention will be described in more
1o detail in the ~ollowing.
The above-mentioned sec-butyldiphenylmethane, sec-
butyldiphenylethane (1,1) and sec-butyldiphenylethane (1,2)
can be produced easily by known methods. For example; there
are known ~ollo~aing methods: to alkylate diphenylmethane,
dipheriylethane (l,l) or diphenylethane (1,2) with an
alkylating agent such as n-butane or sec-butyl chloride in
the presence o~ an acidic catalyst: to benzylate sec-butyl-
benzene with an aralkylating agent such as benzyl chlorides
or benzyl alcohols; to transalkylate sec-butylbenzene and
2o diphenylmethane or diphenylethanes; or to couple sec-bwtyl-
benzene and benzene with ethylene dichloride.
The solvent used in the present invention is a
mixture of the above 'three kinds o~ sec-butyldiarylaa.kanes.
Therefore, the solvent can be produced by mixing the
2,5 compounds together in a predetermined ratio which are
prepared separately according to each procedure.
Furthermore, there are ~ollowing methods to obtain
the solvent composition of the present invewtion: to alky
late diphenylmethane, diphenylethane (1,1) and diphenyl
3o ethane (I,2) which are previously mixed in a predetermined
ratio; or, to -the contrary, to mix together sec-'butyl--
diphenylmethane, sec-butyldiphenylethane (1,1) and sec-
butyldiphenylethane (1,2) which are previously synthesized.
It is necessary 'that the solvent o~ the present
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invention contains sec-butyldiphenylmethane in 2.0 to 80
weight o, sec-butyldiphenylethane (1,1) in 5 to 50 weight o
and sec-butyldiphenylethane (1,2) in 5 to 5U weight p.
When the amount of sec-butyldiphenylmethane is
less than 20 weight o, the color developing rate is low.
When the amount of sec-butyldiphenylrnethane is mare than 80
weight o, the bleeding in color developing and smudge in
storage become a little troublesome. When the amount of
sec-butyldiphenylethane (1,1) is less than 5 weight o, the
effect to prevent bleeding and smudge in writing can not be
found. On the other hand, when the amount of sec-butyl-
diphenylethane (1,1) is more than 50 weight o, the color
developing rate lowers. When the amount of sec-butyldiphe-
nylethane (1,2) is less than 5 weight o, it is difficult to
meet the requirements of both the color developing rate and
the odor. When the amount of sec-butyldiphenylethane (1,2)
is more than 50 weight ~, a problem of bleeding comes out in
writing.
The present inventors examined the disadvantages
2o encountered when the above known solvents are used sepa
rately and investigated the solution of 'the above problems.
As the result, they found out that wYaen these components are
mixed in 'the specific ratio, the disadvantages of the compo
nents are mutually so compensated that an excellent solvent
well--balanced in all properties such as color developing
rate, odor, arid bleeding and offset in writing can be
obtained. Thus, the present invention was completed.
Furthermore, the above-mentioned solvent can be
mixed together with other solvents known as solvents for
3o pressure-sensitive paper in arbitrary ratio in the scope of
the present invention, so long as sec-butyldiphenylmethane,
sec-butyldiphenylethane (1,1) and sec-butyldiphenylethane
(1,2) are contained in the stated ratio.
The electron-donating substances used as color.
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formers in the present invention are colorless or l:ight
colored at normal temperatures and produce colors upon
reacting with the electron-accepting substances. Any color
former generally used in the technical field of the present
invention can be employed.
Typical color formers are exemplified by
triphenylmethane compounds such as
3,3-bis(p-dimethyl-aminophenyl)-6-dimethylaminophthalide
(hereinafter sometimes referred to as "CVL"), 3,3-bis-(p
dimethylaminophenyl)phthalide, 3-(p-dimethylaminophenyl)-3
(1,2-dimethylindole-3-y1)phthalide,
3-(p-dimethylamino-phenyl)-3-(2-methylindole-3-yl)phthalide,
3,3-bis-(1,2-dimethylindole-3-yl)-5-dimethylaminophthalide,
3,3-bis-(1,2-dimethylindole-3-yl)-6-dimethylaminophthalide,
3,3-bis-(9-ethylcarbazole-3-yl)-5-dimethylaminophthalide,
3,3-bis-(2-phenylindole-3-yl)-5-dimethylaminophthalide, and
3-p-dimethylaminophenyl-3-(1-methylpyrrole-2-yl)-5-dimethyl-
aminophthalide; diphenylmethane compounds such as 4,4'-bis-
dimethylaminobenzhydrine benzyl ether, N-halophenyl leuco
2o Auramine, and N-2,4,5-trichlorophenyl leuco Auramine:
fluoran compounds such as Rhodamine B-anilinolactam, Rhoda-
mine-(p-nitroanilino)lactam, Rhodamine B-(p-chloroanilino)-
lactam., 7-dimethylamino-2-methoxyfluoran, 7-diethylamino-2-
methoxyfluoran, 7-diethyl-amino-3-methoxyfluoran, 7-diethyl-
amino--3-ch.lorofluoran, 7-diethylamino-3-chloro-2-methylfluo-
ran, 7-diethylamino-2,3-dimethylfluoran, 7-diethylamino-(3-
acetylmethylamino)-fluoran, 7-diethylamino-(3-methylamino)-
fluoran, 3,7-diethylaminofluoran, 7-diethylamino-3-(di-
benzylamino)fluoran, 7-diethylamino-3-(methylbenzylamino)-
3o fluoran, 7-diethylamino-3-(chloroethylmethylamino)fluoran,
7-diethylamino-3-(diethylamino)fluoran, and 2-phenylamino-3-
methyl-6-(N-ethyl-N-p-tolyl)-amino-fluoran; thi.azine
compounds such as benzoyl leuco methylene blue and p-nitro-
benzyl leuco methylene blue; and sp:iro compounds such as
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3-methyl-spiro-dinaphthopyran, 3-ethyl-spiro-dinaphthopyran,
3,3'-dichloro-spiro-dinaphthopyran, 3-benzyl-spiro-dinaph-
thopyran, 3-methyl-naphtho-(3-methoxybenzo)-spiropyran, and
3-propyl-spiro-dibenzopyran.
As the color developers used in the present
invention, there are organic materials such as acidic
polymers, for example, aromatic carboxylic acids, their
polymers or their metal salts, carboxylated terpene phenol
resins having polyvalent metal substituted or their
derivatives, and acidic inorganic materials such as acid
clays or activated clays.
The acidic polymers are exemplified by phenol
resins such as p-phenylphenol-formaldehyde polymer and
p-octylphenol-formaldehyde polymer. These are also used in
forms of salts with polyvalent metals such as zinc.
Furthermore, there are phenol-acetylene copolymer, malefic
acid-rosin polymer, partially or completely saponified
styrene-malefic anhydride copolymer, partially or cocnpletely
saponified ethylene-malefic anhydride copalymer, carboxylated
polyethylene, and partially or completely saponified vinyl
methyl ether--malefic anhydride copolymer.
The aromatic carboxylic acids used as color
developers are organic compounds which have aromatic rings
(monoeyclic or polycyelic) having carboxyl groups attached
directly. The aromatic carboxylic acids are exemplified by
salicylic acid derivatives such as: 3,5-di(a-methylbenzyl)-
salicylic acid, 3-(a-methylbenzyl)-5-(a, a'-dimethylbenzyl)-
salicylic acid, 3-(4'-a,a'-dimethylbenzyl)phenyl-5-(a,a'-
dimethylbenzyl)-salicylic acid, 3,5-di-tart-butyl salicylic
acid, 3,5-di-tart-octyl salicylic acid, 3-cyclohexyl-5-(a,-
a'-dimethylbenzyl)salicylic acid, 3-phenyl.-5-(a, a'-dimethyl-
benzyl)salicylic acid, and 3,5-di(a,a'-methylbenzyl)-
salicylic acid.
Furthermore, the aromatic carboxylic acids having
styrenes attached such as styrene-salicylic acid are also
exemplified. The most preferable aromatic carboxylic acids
are those having total carbon number of 15 or more.
However, when they are used as monomers for copolyconden-
sation or copolymerization as described later, the carbon
number is not restricted.
Furthermore, addition polymerization resins and
condensation or copolycondensation resins containing
aromatic carboxylic acid, especially salicylic acid as a
comonomer, such as salicylic acid resin, can also be used as
the color developers of the present invention. These kinds
of resins are exemplified by copolyaondensation resin
consisting of salicylic acid and dialkoxy xylene, and poly-
merization product of salicylic acid and aldehyde. These
1~ resins can also comprise trialkylbenzenes as monomers for
copolycondensation.
Furthermore, the salts of metals with the aromatic
carboxylic acids or their polymers can be also used. The
metals are exemplified by polyvalent metals such as zinc,
aluminum, barium, tin, iron, calcium and lead.
The aromatic carboxylic acids or their polymers
and their metal salts can be produced, for instance, accord-
irxg to the method described in U. S. Patent No. 4,783,521.
The carboxylated terpene phenol resins having
polyvalent metal substituted or their derivatives can be
produced, for example, by condensing cyclic monoterpenes and
phenols in the presence of an acidic catalyst to obtain
copolycandensation resins, introducing carboxyl groups into
said resins according to the known methods to obtain
carboxylated terpene phenol resins, and treating the
obtained resins with polyvalent metals. The examples of
this method are disclosed in U. S. Patent Nos. 4,759,797 and
4,749,'680, arid European Laid-Open Patent No. 275,110. More
particularly, the carboxylated terpene phenol resins having
g
polyvalent metal substituted are produced by condensing
phenol and a-pinene with a catalyst of boron trifluoride
into a copolycnndensation resin, carboxylating this resin by
introducing carbon dioxide in the presence of sodium metal,
and then treating the product with polyvalent metals such as
zinc. chloride. In this case, the polyvalent metals are
exemplified by zinc, aluminum, barium, tin, iron, calcium
and lead. Zinc is mast preferable. In the scope of the
present invention, the carboxylated terpene phenol resins
7o having polyvalent metal substituted ar their derivatives can
be also used by being mixed with aromatic carboxylic acids
such as salicylic acid or their metal salts in a solvent or
dispersant, or by being mixed on the melt.
A general production method of the pressure
sensitive copying material using the solvent of the present
invention will be described with reference to an example of
pressure-sensitive copying paper.
The solution which contains the above color former
In a solvent of the present invention is emulsified in an
2o aqueous mixed solution of gelatin and gum arabic, and then
gelatin membranes are formed around the emulsified oil
particles by coacervation method. Recently, methods to
microcapsulate with synthetic resins by in-situ polymeriza-
tion or interfacial polymerization are also widely used.
The thus obtained fine oil drop-like capsulated
emulsion is applied to one sheet of paper, and the foregoing
color developer is applied to the opposing surface of the
other sheet of paper or to the above applied surface in
layers to produce the pressure-sensitive copying material.
3o The pressure-sensitive copying material of the
present invention is free from the disadvantages of the
conventional one which is obtained using a solvent compris-
ing of sec-butyldiphenylmethane and sec-butyldiphenylethane,
that is, is excellent in the color develpping rate, odor,
B r'9 f~ ~4
~3~yt~~~-sD .~
-
and bleeding and smudge in writing.
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
The present invention will be described in more
5 detail with reference to examples. However, the invention
is not restricted to the following examples.
As shown in the following Table 1, sec-butyl-
diphenylmethane, sec-butyldiphenylethane (1,1) and sec-
butyldiphenylethane (1,2) were used to prepare the solvent
for pressure-sensitive copying paper. As the color former,
CVL was dissolved into the solvents in 5°s each to obtain
color former solutions.
In Table 1, solvent 1, solvent 2 and solvent 3 are
the solvents used for the pressure-sensitive copying
materials of the present invention, and solvent 4, solvent 5
and solvent 6, solvent 7 are comparative ones.
Thereafter, these solvents were microcapsulated by
in-situ polymerization using urea and formaldehyde. Bonding
agent and protecting materials were added -to the obtained
microcapsule emulsion, and these ware applied to sheets of
fine quality paper with a Mayer bar to obtain upper sheets
of the pressure-serrsitive copying paper.
The surface applied with microcapsule of the upper
sheet was put over the surface of 'the lower sheet applied
2s with phenol-formaldehyde resin as color developer, and
impact loads were applied to produce colors. The color
densities at 5 seconds and 60 minutes after applying the
impact loads were determined by a reflective spectrophotome-
ter. Furthermore, the developed color images of the lower
3n sheet were observed with a magnifying glass to determined
the degree of bleeding of -the color images.
Subsequently, the color density at 60 minutes
after applying static load of 20 kg/cm2 was determined, and
the smudge under light static load was examined.
s s~n'=,~. )~
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The results are shown in the following Table 1.
T a b 1 a 1
Solvent 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Composition (%)
sec-Butyl
50 30 70 45 40 10 90
diphenylmethane
sec-Butyldiphenyl
0 25 5
ethane (1,1) 25 40 10 55
sec--Butyldiphenyl
65 5
ethane (1,2) 25 30 20 0 60
Developed Color
Density (%)
After 5 sec.
After 60 min. O OO UO o0 O O O
Odor Good Good Goad Good Good Good Good
Color Density (%)
Developed by
4 7 3 9
Static Load 5 4 5
Bleeding of Slight Slight Moderate Much
Color Image Slight Slight Moderate
Notes: Color Density After 5 sec. After 60 min.
p ~ Less than 60% - -
60 - 64% Less than 80%
More than 65% More than g0%
